A Few MUST Do Action Steps BEFORE Writing Your Copy...

by Mark Pescetti

Posted: 14 years ago 21 replies

COPY WRITING

I see a lot of people asking for advice on the CW Forum that make the same mistakes time and time again.
It’s called a lack of organization and foresight.

After all…

…You can’t KNOW what’s best for YOUR marketing campaign – if you’re writing your copy like you’re trying to pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey.

It just doesn’t work!

So here are a few MUST DO action steps to get your project going:

Study your audience and write down ALL the problems that your product or service can SOLVE.
Hone your audience down to the SMALLEST niche you can think of. (The smaller the market you target, the MORE people you can reach! POSITIONING, POSITIONING, POSITIONING!)
On an emotionally level, what are your prospects FEELING as a result of NEEDING your HELP?
How does your product or service enhance the quality of your prospect’s lives? (Think WAY outside of the box here. For instance, if you’re selling something that enhances a person’s health or wellbeing, tell them how they can make WAY more money when they are vital and upbeat, rather than toxic and bogged down.)
Determine your central theme or main selling point. This is essential to begin conjecturing your BRAND.
Write out some mottos, taglines and slogans that communicate the BENEFITS of your product or service… and the end results of owning what you’re offering. (Some of these can become headlines or sub-headlines too.)
Determine the best medium to communicate your business. Would your audience respond well to a sales letter? A traditional corporate authority site?
Create your brand (logo, header, declaration) and developed some clever lingo to integrate into your copy. (By the way, a DECLARATION is how you’ll influence your audience into accepting your position in YOUR market. For instance, imply your company is creating a revolution or changing the way people think, shop, dress, etc. This will TRIGGER the cult-following effect.)
Map out your copy and/or pages (this is your sales funnel.)
Somehow make your product or service appear exclusive and elite – so you can employ some basic, subtle reverse psychology. (These garments are ONLY for women with a refined taste.)
ASK A LOT OF QUESTIONS! Get people nodding their heads in agreement with you!
Deliberately inflame your audience (by making an audacious claim or statement) and trigger their deeper beliefs about what you’re saying… then bring them back to the SOLUTION. (You’ve got to create somewhat of an emotional roller-coaster for your prospects. Knock them off of their equilibrium and you’ll DOUBLE your sales.)
Make sure your call-to-action sounds time sensitive – even if you’re not using scarcity. Let your audience know they’re leaving something MASSIVE on the table of they don’t take action RIGHT NOW!

And while SEO is important to some people, DO NOT even think about it when you’re writing your copy.

However…

If you’re REALLY honed in on a niche market, a lot of the SEO will take care of itself.

Remember, the one thing that people AND Google have in common is they BOTH love relevance!

And relevance is a bigger aspect of SEO NOW than at any other time in the internet’s history.

And no, I’m not talking about keyword density.

I’m talking about your subject matter.

I’ve gotten sales letters into the organic listings in BIG markets – just by making sure my copy was written with laser precision.

In fact, one of my clients enjoys over 10,000 hits a month from Google searches and made a six figure income last year from a $3,000 budget as a result.

But again, that’s not your objective (I mean the SEO part, not the six figure income!)

Once your copy is done, it’s time to DRIVE TRAFFIC onto the site.

I’ll leave that subject for another time.

I’m off to work!

Cheer!

Mark

P.S. YOU are a BIG selling point in your copy. Ask yourself: What makes me different and HOW can I integrate the answer into my copy?

#action #copy #steps #writing

RHert

14 years ago

Nice points. It sounds like you've run into a lot of newbies who could benefit from a course, WSO, or something that will take them through what they need step by step. I've run into them to. The funny thing about copywriting is you need to learn what you're doing and then just do it, because you won't get better until you do.

Thanks
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Mark Pescetti

14 years ago

Originally Posted by RHert

Actually, a good amount of my present clients are definitely newbies, which is unusual for me because my copy targets more astute entrepreneurs.

Honestly though... I'm loving working with people who are bringing a FRESH perspective to my work.

There's something to be said for people who are experiencing something for the first time... They bring a sort of passion and excitement that sometimes gets lost!

Oh...

...And here's one more tip to adopt a more conversational style of writing (A little back story first!)

I was flipping through the channels Sunday morning looking for something to defrag from my long week of work.

I stopped to briefly watch Joel Osteen preaching for a packed arena crowd.

Now, I find religion to be repulsive, even spiritual sects.

But I couldn't help but FEEL drawn into EVERY word Joel Osteen was saying.

No, I don't buy a lot of what he preached, but his conversational style of selling God's purpose to people is a stroke of genius.

Even my wife stopped and listened... She pointed out how just a few changes in his wording and he could position himself to appeal to an entirely different non-religious crowd.

I was incredibly inspired by his natural flow of words and how he effortlessly connected his stories to the central theme he wanted to communicate.

It was like listening to a high-converting sales letter.

So my point is to keep an open mind and utilize every opportunity you have to learn ways of getting your copy more and more conversational.

Because once you can type like Joel Osteen preaches, you'll be able to sell dildos to nuns!

Too far?

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BrianMcLeod 14 years ago

Originally Posted by Reflection Marketing

Because once you can type like Joel Osteen preaches, you'll be able to sell dildos to nuns!

Too far?

LOL... just right.
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Brian McLeod

Direct Response Copywriting
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RHert 14 years ago

LOL.
You have a point there. Writing is an art, just as preaching is, and most of it comes right down to salesmanship, or should I say showmanship. It's all about connecting with people, something that I've had to learn and am still learning as I was one of the most awkward teenagers you could have ever met. My talent was when I opened my mouth the entire room fell silent and then quietly left as quickly as possible. Strange that I'd go into copywriting as a business, but here I am and I love it.
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davidstardling 14 years ago

No Doubt its a Great Post and more then a post its a tutorial =)
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denshe 14 years ago

More please Mark, very helpful tips
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kayshaw 14 years ago

Hey thanks for the valuable info! I just finished my first ad copy job and the employer was really happy. On my next job, I'll make sure to implement some of these tactics to make my clients even more happy.
Thanks for taking the time to write!
Kayla
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Ross Bowring

14 years ago

Mark, I really liked this post, especially the focus on positioning.

The book "Blue Ocean Strategy" is helpful when someone wants to think about positioning issues on a deeper level.

--- Ross

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Mark Pescetti

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Ross Bowring

Mark, I really liked this post, especially the focus on positioning.

The book "Blue Ocean Strategy" is helpful when someone wants to think about positioning issues on a deeper level.

--- Ross

Just looked it up on Amazon and bought it. Sounds interesting. I was just talking to someone this morning about how Starbucks came into prominence. I saw they're one of the case studies.

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Manoj V

14 years ago

You've got most or all of the points bang on. In fact your post can be used as a checklist for creating a good copy by anyone.

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Mark Pescetti

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Max P

You've got most or all of the points bang on. In fact your post can be used as a checklist for creating a good copy by anyone.

But you absolutely CAN'T forget to isolate and target the specific emotions your prospects are experiencing RIGHT NOW!

Write down on a piece of paper or a blank .doc file ALL the emotions your audience might be FEELING!

Then start using your product or service to fill the gaps in people's lives (in the copy) - so your prospects FEEL almost incomplete without buying your SOLUTION!

You have to SPELL OUT what people are experiencing and articulate the consequences of continuing to go in that direction - so they can clearly FEEL why owning your product or participating in your service MATTERS!

Mark

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The Niche Man

14 years ago

Thanks, good tips not only copywriters, but people who hire copywriters. I'll add this list to my "Copywriter Interview Folder".

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ewenmack

14 years ago

Here's an example I recently encountered that involved positioning
and tying it into a central theme.

He came to me looking to boost sales.

He had already hired a pro copywriter.

The first thing I look for is a way to add more authority weight to a piece.

The book author had no experience on the subject when quizzed.

Moving on I discovered in the book reviews he had professionals
buy the book and leave feedback saying they even learnt something.

Also found the word "Bible" used.

Client said all reviews are genuine.

So right from that point we made him the authority on this
competitive subject that even the experts paid to learnt from.

So we re'named the book x x Bible.

Bought domain name with this new title and got a ISBN to protect
his authority positioning.

All that gold was buried in the piece.

So back to Mark's point about positioning and main theme,
it can make you the leader of the pack!

Best,
Ewen

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Mark Pescetti

14 years ago

Originally Posted by ewenmack

And positioning SHOULD make you the leader of the pack.

If you're positioning yourself to get lost in obscurity - whether it's in a small niche or the broader market - you might as well just flush your money down the toilet!

Ewen demonstrated how a copywriter is ALWAYS influencing how people think.

Because quite frankly, if you're failing to TELL your audience what you WANT them to FEEL, you're NOT the authority.

His branding idea led to accomplishing great positioning and helped his client to become the authority - as far as the audience knows.

And people, even copywriters, often forget that's what BRANDING should do...

...Branding MUST set you apart from everyone else and communicate that YOU'RE the leader in the niche and/or broader market.

That being said...

You can't SAY I'm the leader.

You have to demonstrate your awareness and knowledge in the copy.

For instance, in another thread, someone who is selling Houdini 6 Pack Abs FAILED to exhibit ANY knowledge about the body in his incredibly brief sales pitch.

As the reader, this left me THIRSTY for the REAL authority on the subject.

I would NEVER buy from someone who didn't affect the way I FEEL AND THINK or INSPIRE me in some audacious way... and you shouldn't either.

Knowing that should absolutely influence HOW you write, brand yourself or your company and position your online presence as the authority.

Mark

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tbc41 14 years ago

Great overview...copywriting is not simple...I worked in radio for a while and had to write effective, to the point copy for 15, 30 and 60 sec. spots...I completely understand how important it is to convey the hot buttons in your copy...that being said, copy writing is more of an art form in my opinion and if you do not enjoy writing, my recommendation would be to outsource it bigtime...just like you did for that customer who turned their $3k investment into six figures...nice job! Great post again!!
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maximus242

14 years ago

Creating the smallest niche is called specialization.

Positioning is redefining a market to put your product in its own category and own a space in the customers mind. This is not nessecarily a small market but a new market that never existed before in the mind of the customer.

For the Starbucks example, there were coffee shops, then they created "the luxury coffee experience"

It offered a whole different type of benefit different from just coffee. Starbucks doesnt sell coffee -- they sell emotional and psychological renewal. Its a little luxury for busy people to have in their day. Maybe they cant afford a vacation to hawaii this year, but they can afford a $5 mocha.

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Mark Pescetti

14 years ago

Originally Posted by maximus242

I BOTH agree AND disagree...

...Because I might be able to HELP everyone, but I'm CHOOSING to target a very specific, small group of people.

That IS positioning.

It's also saving a TON of money by making sure every dollar I spend for advertising goes WAY further than if I didn't know any better and got myself lost in the broader market.

And yes, I'm focusing on certain aspects of my skill set or product impact to dominate a smaller market and POSITION myself as the specialist...

As for Starbucks...

...They HUGELY positioned themselves as a specialty COFFEEHOUSE.

They saw the potential in handcrafted espresso drinks and understood how easily they could be making over 1,000% profit per drink if they could generated enough volume.

Which they did.

Peets Coffee on the other hand positioned themselves as the EXPERTS in assembling the PERFECT specialty espresso drink.

It takes Peets, on average, an extra 45 second to produce the SAME espresso drinks because of their standards of practice.

People who appreciate a well-made drink go to Peets.

People who want fast-food espresso visit Starbucks.

Of course... people who buy Starbucks don't necessarily know that.

Because they're typically not nearly as educated about proper espresso drinks as a Peets customer.

So they THINK they're getting the same quality - when it's not even close.

That's brilliant marketing...

And quite frankly, it comes down to the barista making your drink.

You can ask a Peets barista what's involved with making the PERFECT espresso drink... and they'll be able to give the factual, step-by-step information, because of how they're trained.

Starbucks employees can't... unless they were trained properly elsewhere first.

Anyway...

Yes, Starbucks POSITIONED themselves in front of an exploding specialty espresso drink market just when it was on the verse of blowing wide open.

And because of their positioning, they were a catalyst in ensuring the BOOM manifested.

Mark

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Mark Pescetti 14 years ago

Also, the reason why smaller, local coffeehouses have been booming for the last decade is because many of them are providing even more quality than the corporate shops.

If you ask most Peets baristas about the art of pouring, they usually can't even begin to answer or provide any REAL depth to the subject.

Most Starbucks employees probably never even heard of the art of pouring.

And yet, HOW you extract your shots and combine them with perfectly textured milk are essential components to making the perfect drink.

And latte art isn't even possible unless you know how to extract creme (the fat from the espresso bean) and raise with your textured milk to create some magnificent designs.

And small batch coffee roasters are also making a killing by providing the kind of quality that reformed Starbuck's drinkers crave - but can't get at the corporate level.

POSITIONING, POSITIONING, POSITIONING!
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EricMN

14 years ago

Great post, Mark!

I like the note on SEO. I'm working with a client that is pushing for a lot of SEO in the copy I'm writing for his website. I told him any on site SEO can be edited in after I'm done and at absolutely no expense of the message.

But as you said, if you are targeting properly, a lot of the keywords will take care of themselves.

It really does help to get the 3 big research aspects (the prospects, the client, the competition) down in order to really get a grasp on the copy and the right message.

Thumbs up for the post.

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Mark Pescetti

14 years ago

Originally Posted by EricMN

You're absolutely right!

SEO, when it's done right, should be extremely organic in the copy AND its relevance.

I was at Barnes & Noble yesterday and I picked up a few SEO books.

Flipped through them.

Just a bunch of rubbish.

And here's why:

Over 95% of people who start an online business FAIL!

Sure, some money might come in, but in terms of actually making a living... or even a killing... most people fail.

Before the internet, people spent their time resonating the message of their business (i.e. brand identity) so the public was emotionally aroused and compelled patron the storefront.

The newspaper and magazine ads were copy-centered and more sales were made.

Since the internet has become the hub of the universe, people tend to open their doors online, rather than on Main St.

And the fact of the matter is, anyone can open an online business.

You just need a domain, hosting and a crappy idea.

You can have a website up inside of a day - if you really wanted to.

I've done it.

That doesn't mean we should though.

And unfortunately, since the internet is so keyword focused, even people who start businesses that actually provide value FAIL to penetrate our hard-headed nature...

...Because they're TOO FOCUSED ON SEO and hardly gave ANY thought to the sales copy.

When my wife used to design websites, it was rare for the client to have any copy done.

They'd ask her to do it or say, "I'll just do it myself when I have the time."

I would often ask her, "Do these people think a website is going to make them money without copy?"

Of course...

Most of her clients were adamant to make sure the site was optimized for the search engines - you know... the meta tags, description and even the site title.

They'd also pay her to submit the site to the search engines, often before they'd written a word of copy. (Even though submitting your site is a waste of time!)

Insane, right?

And yet, people wonder why they fail.

They throw on some text and expect it to convert because they invested what little money they had for a professional website design.

Makes TOTAL sense!

Even today, people will throw down for a $35 Wordpress theme and spend gobs of time making it look pretty, then populate the site with "content" that's dry, pointless and couldn't elicit an ounce of emotion - even if the fate of the planet depended on it.

Anyway...

This little rant gives you a some insight into why I posted this thread.

ALWAYS START WITH YOUR COPY.

We're emotional beings.

Learn how to stimulate people's emotions BEFORE you do anything else.

Mark

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A Few MUST Do Action Steps BEFORE Writing Your Copy...

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